Cooper House
169 Washington Road, September 2017.
Historical Overview
Standing at 169 Washington Road is a wood-framed American four-square house with detached garage. This - hereafter called the Cooper house - is a member of West Windsor's "100 Club" and a contributing element to the historic West Windsor community of Penns Neck.
According to township tax records, this house was constructed in 1923 - concurrent to the houses at 167 and 165 Washington Road[1] and, given their proximity, perhaps by the same builder. However, the Historical Society has not yet uncovered who built the house. The first known owners were Alfred and Margaret Meneely, who sold this property to James and Gladys Cooper in 1952.[2] Sadly, James - a tree surgeon and President of both the Princeton Junction Fire Company and the Mercer County Fire Chiefs Association - died in a car accident on Washington Road just seven years later. He was also a member of the NJ Fire Police Association, the NJ Federation of Shade Tree Commissioners, and various other fraternal and nonprofit organizations.[3] However, Gladys - a secretary at the nearby David Sarnoff Research Center in Penns Neck - continued ownership of the building until her own passing in 1983.[4],[5] Two years later, the property was deeded to Doris and William Brady,[6] who kept it until 2005.[6] It has long since passed to new owners.
According to township tax records, this house was constructed in 1923 - concurrent to the houses at 167 and 165 Washington Road[1] and, given their proximity, perhaps by the same builder. However, the Historical Society has not yet uncovered who built the house. The first known owners were Alfred and Margaret Meneely, who sold this property to James and Gladys Cooper in 1952.[2] Sadly, James - a tree surgeon and President of both the Princeton Junction Fire Company and the Mercer County Fire Chiefs Association - died in a car accident on Washington Road just seven years later. He was also a member of the NJ Fire Police Association, the NJ Federation of Shade Tree Commissioners, and various other fraternal and nonprofit organizations.[3] However, Gladys - a secretary at the nearby David Sarnoff Research Center in Penns Neck - continued ownership of the building until her own passing in 1983.[4],[5] Two years later, the property was deeded to Doris and William Brady,[6] who kept it until 2005.[6] It has long since passed to new owners.
Bibliography
- "West Windsor Tax Assessor Address List, 2019.” West Windsor, 2019. List of all residences in West Windsor with dates of construction, according to tax assessor. Sent to the Historical Society by Lorraine Jones and Dawn Moretti.
- Cooper, Gladys M., Cooper, James H., Meneely, Alfred, Meneely, Margaret B. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1952. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1218 Page 411.
- "Man Dies in Accident." Town Topics. November 22, 1959.
- "Obituaries - Gladys M. Cooper." Town Topics. September 14, 1983.
- Brady, Doris L., Brady, William H., Racis, Lois I. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1985. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2289 Page 582.
- Ibid.
- Austin Paige Corp., Brady, Doris L., Brady, William H. “Deed.” West Windsor, 2005. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 5248 Page 266.